Builders Left Jobless As Construction On Markus Jooste's Holiday Home Stops

"Now we haven't got work for our employees, so we don’t know what to do."

Building contractors confirmed on Friday morning that they had been instructed to vacate the site of former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste's luxury beachside home.

Lourens Theron, director of Theron Bros. contractors, told HuffPost SA that his company, along with all the other subcontractors employed, received the stop order "without explanation" and were told to get off the site.

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"We would've focused totally on that project and now we haven't got work for our employees in January, so now we don't know what to do. We would've focused our company 100 percent there," Theron said.

Currently a boundary wall is near complete, excavation is fully complete, and Theron Bros. started the main construction of the site one week before being issued with the stop order.

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Theron Bros. would not reveal the value of the job, but other properties in the Kraaiwater area are currently on the market for as much as R40-million.

Theron said that the property "would've been a sizeable house," and "would've been a really good property for Hermanus."

Whether the company would be paid for its work is now unsure, especially after Jooste resigned as Steinhoff CEO after allegations of financial irregularities at the multinational company.

"We still don't know if the company who employed us is connected to Steinhoff, and we don't know if that company has money or not, so we are now waiting to hear what will happen to us," Theron said.